The pair defended drag after a tweet compared it to blackface.
Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies recently sent out a tweet comparing drag shows to blackface. In the tweet, she wrote: “Am I the only person fed up of drag shows? A parody of what a real woman is, like black face.
“Woman are juggling kids, rushing out a wholesome dinner, doing the laundry & cleaning, holding down a job all with period pains & leaky boobs if breast feeding. Enough of the stereotypes.”
Unsurprisingly Sharron’s tweets caused a massive backlash, including from RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, and Lorraine Kelly, who guest judged on Drag Race UK earlier this year.
Michelle responded by writing: “OR…you can see it for what drag actually IS, which is a celebration and homage of all things feminine, giving power to those who need it!
“Strong women aren’t threatened by drag queens, but rather empowered by their chutzpah. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!”
And Lorraine Kelly added: “Oh Sharon. You can’t underestimate the power of drag and how it empowers people who often feel like outsiders – they can find their family, grow in confidence, learn to love themselves and be who they really are. It can literally save lives. And it’s such a lot of FUN!”
And Drag Race UK star Vinegar Strokes has having none of, pointing out how Sharron was enforcing her own stereotypes in the tweet. “My love, have you never thought that a majority of Drag Queens are celebrating woman and the fantastic achievements woman have made to shape the world,” she wrote. “YOU do nothing but shape a stereotype!”
She added in a later tweet: “I have a new act. I’m going to juggle some babies, cook a wholesome dinner, do some laundry and some cleaning while I’m dressed in a work uniform so the audience know I’m holding down a job while singing I’m Every Woman. I’m also going to spell my name with 2 R’s coz I’m TRASH.”
Cheryl Hole also added: “Do you know what I’m sick of? People spouting off comments about the drag & queer community to give themselves 5 minutes of relevance and clout. We see what you’re doing, and you’re the ones looking like fools.”
And their responses to Sharron’s tweet drew a lot of praise from the online community.
Related: Michelle Visage releases powerful statement after controversial Strictly elimination
Latest
